In organic light-emitting components, in particular in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), the generated radiation is only proportionally coupled out directly. By way of example, waveguiding effects of a transparent substrate arranged in the beam path of the component (so-called external modes), waveguiding effects in the organic layers and a translucent electrode (so-called internal modes), absorption losses on account of materials through which generated radiation passes, and the formation of surface plasmons, in particular at a metallic electrode, for example, the cathode, as loss channels can lead to light losses. Without technical assistance, such light cannot be coupled out from the OLED.
Hitherto, in order to increase the coupling-out of light, by way of example, films having surface structures have been applied to the outer side of the substrate or the outer side has been structured in order to improve the coupling-out of external modes (so-called external coupling-out). With these measures, in particular conventional films on the outer side of the substrate, which largely consist of polymers, only a coupling-out efficiency of approximately 60 to 70% of the light guided in the substrate can be achieved, however. The light guided in the substrate corresponds to approximately 25% of the total light generated in the component. With these conventional devices, internal modes can scarcely be coupled out or cannot be coupled out at all. Furthermore, these measures adversely influence the appearance of the OLED since, as a result of the scattering, a milky or diffuse surface characterizes the appearance of the component in the switched-off state (so-called off-state appearance).